Seven apply for chief

A total of seven applicants have applied for the Granby chief of police, according to Barry Flint, chairman of the Granby Police Personnel Board. Flint was a guest during the Tuesday Granby City Council meeting.

GRANBY — A total of seven applicants have applied for the Granby chief of police, according to Barry Flint, chairman of the Granby Police Personnel Board. Flint was a guest during the Tuesday Granby City Council meeting.

"We have interviewed two, and we are going to interview two more (today)," said Flint. "We have looked over the applications, that is where we are at right now."

Former chief Scott Whitman resigned from the position Dec. 28. Whitman has served twice as Granby's chief of police and was also a detective with the Newton County Sheriff's Department.

Flint noted those who have applied for the position have come from both near and far.

"Some of them are from Southwest Missouri and the two that we are going to interview (Friday) are from mid-Missouri," he said.

Flint noted the qualifications include law enforcement background, experience and good people skills. The deadline to submit an application was Jan. 2, he added.

"After we have looked at all of them, even the people that we interview we will look at them and decide to recommend their name to the council or not," said Flint. "We are just a recommending board."

In turn, the council will be the ones who will hire the next police chief.

"They may decide to re-interview the same people that we recommend," he said. "They may or may not, they have done it both ways in the past."

There has been no time frame the council has given to the board to find recommendations or to fill the position.

"They have not given any constraints at all," he said. "We are wanting to get it done as quickly as possible, just so there is a smooth transition. The officers we have got right now are handling it all right. We are not really pressed for time."